Wichita eagle., 1887-04-13
IN THE S0UDAN.


THRILLING DESCRIPTION OF THE
FIGHTING SQUARE At AeU-KLEA.
A P0rtentous Silence on the Part Of the
Enemy-'Prepare to Receive Cavalry
| A Pandemonium Inside the English
| Hollow Square.
| Breakfast being over, and the enemy's fire
growing unpleasantly hot, Gen Stewart,
whose cool behavior greatly inspired the
men, took occasion to instruct us as to our
imminent duty He warned Us as to the
Arab mode of intimidation and loud noises.
| "You are but 1900 men against about
| 1900 Of the enemy. But keep cool; keep
close together. Above all things fire low,
and all viii be well"
! Just as he concluded the men arose and
prepared to leave the zareba by marching
straight on the wells; the right side of the
square faced to the left, the left side faced to
the right, while the rear faced right-about,
| thus the Guards were in front. Of course
| you know that the British square is always
| four deep, officers and all others in the
| center.
| / may as well state that on the previous
| evening, as we were constructing our Zareba,
| Col. Fred Burnaby, of the Life Guards, that
| restless knight Grant. rode into our lines
| alone saying that he had come to re-en-
| force US,
All being ready, the bugle sounded the
advance" and we stepped out OF our inclo-
sure and marched straight to our front; but
| when we had arrived within about LOCO
| yards Of the first rock of the wells the "halt"
| was sounded, and we lay down to avoid a
fire that was growing serious. Failing in
| again, we advanced, retired, wheeled and ex-
| ecuted various manceuvres, in order to draw
| the enemy cut from their concealment. firing
an occasional round from our machine guns,
but could not succeed They were well post
ed behind and beyond the rocks that sur
round the wells, and refused to expose them
selves; but we knew that this silence on their
part portended some deviltry, and that very
soon. We did not anticipate any boys play;
we had heard too much about the Arabs, and
knew our case was a desperate one, conse-
quently our commander acted very eau
tivusly.
FEELING" THE ENEMY.
At last, seeing the futility of our manoeu-
wiring, the general decided to "feel" them by
skirmishers, and consequently ten files were
thrown out, with orders to pick off any
sheikhs or emirs they might see, many Of
whom We're present, as we could observe by
the numbers of banners waving above the
rocks, and the constant shifting of which led
Us to believe that they contemplated some
sudden mischief The skirmishers, as soon
rs they made choice Of positions, opened a
lively fusilade on the banner bearers, and we
knew every shot told by seeing the banners
fall At last the Arabs commenced to swarm
over the rocks, and bodies of mounted men
appeared at the openings of defiles. Instantly
the recall" was sounded, and none too soon,
for as the skirmishers broke cover and raced
for the square three heavy columns of Arab
cavalry burst out after them, also making
for our square.
"Prepare to receive cavalry" now rang
out, and instantly the square bristled with
steel On came the fleeing skirmishers,
straight for the front of the square, when
they had been told that in retreat they should
make for the rear of the square. As they
closed on the front with the standing ranks
Of the guards at the ready" Col. Boscawen,
who had the voice Of bull, roared out:
Round to the right! round to the right and
rear, you - fools! do you want your heads
blown off" They swerved around and cleared
our front when we poured in volley, bring
ing the astonished enemy in our front "up,
standing"
The skirmishers kept ON around the square,
to the rear, the Arabs after them, till they
reached the right rear corner, where they
essayed to enter, and did enter, the Arabs in
hot pursuit, bearing everything down before
them Well might we all in the other parts
of the square exclaim with Koko in the
"Mikado," Here's howdy do! here's pretty
messl" But it was no laughing matter, with
the wild fanatics cutting right and left. The
unlucky cavalrymen now attempted to make
amends for their mistake, officers and men
fighting with unexanpled heroism, but they
were hewn to the earth by the dozen. 1t was
a perfect pandemonium, Arabs shreking,
British shouting and camels roaring (camels
can roar; there is more roar to the square
inch in the camel than in the biggest lion
that breathesl, the crashing of musketry and
the growing of the machine guns as we
made it lively for the dancing dervishes who
We're whirling around the outside Of the
square.
FIGHTING BACK TO BACK.
Part or this must DE stopped, Ihe INSIDE per
formances particularly. So Boscawen-ha
of the loud voice-roared out: Guards and
marines! standing rankS-right about face:
give 'em the steel! Let no beggar escaped
Charged"
at it we went; the square was closed I
must acknowledge that our men We're now
mad We all felt that we must fight for our
lives. Retreat was not to be thought Of; if
we did so, where could we retreat to, cut off
as we We're from all support! If we did not
win the day we must leave our bones in the
desert. The temper Of our fellows mounted
to the boiling pitch Each man felt as if he
must put forth the power Of giant, and as
a consequence the butchery was terrible
none dared to finch Thus every man in the
square had to do his duty, for while the inside
resembled volcano in active eruption the
outside, or kneeling ranks, had enough to do
to keep the other Arabs at respectful dis
lance The fighting was literally back to
back.
Stabbing and gashing their horses, which
were damned in a mass, We quickly brought
them to the ground, riders and all, when the
latter were quickly dispatched by dozens Of
bayonets at once. The Arabs being packed
SO tightly together, could neither use their